


Aima Aurantiaco

by DefinitelyNotFrankincense



Category: Phantasy Star Online 2
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-28
Updated: 2017-09-30
Packaged: 2018-04-28 16:49:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 20,380
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5098016
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DefinitelyNotFrankincense/pseuds/DefinitelyNotFrankincense
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A collection of not-quite-drabbles, not-quite-one-shots centered around Chroto and Aurum, written in no particular order.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Index

I'm sorry this is here. Yes, perhaps I could just post each and every one of these separately as their own drabble/one-shot/whatever. But I don't think they really fit like that. I'd rather keep them all here together. And even though it says "in no particular order," these things do take place in an order. I just don't write or post them in order. So, if you want to read them chronologically, please use this. I'll update it each time I post a new chapter.

* * *

04\. Soulager  
03\. Treat  
10\. Split Ends  
02\. Relaxation  
[placeholder]

* * *

Regarding his name:

It's spelled "Chroto" in latin letters in the Japanese credits, and all localizations that use the latin alphabet spell it "Chroto" as well.  
It's spelled 「クロト」 (KUROTO) in Japanese.  
You could connect that to the enzyme or asteroid "klotho," and that probably was the intention of the writer who named him, since many characters share names that link back to asteroids and other things. BUT, they consciously spelled it "Chroto," so it can't be a mistake.

So there will be no "correcting" his name to that which the patch uses. I don't agree with it. I'm also trying to stick to names and terms that the official localizations use, so there won't be any "correcting" of other names/terms, either, unless the official localizations change.


	2. Relaxation

ARKS work was tiring.

Chroto spent more time on the ship than on the field and thus dealt more with people than hostiles. He wasn't sure which was more exhausting at times.

He was often chastised for being lazy, and he had no argument for it. When asked why he joined a labor-intensive job like ARKS, he'd reply that it was still less work than finding a civilian job, plus the politics were interesting.

He did the bare minimum amount of work to keep his job and remain in his superiors' neutral graces. He'd find loopholes and take the most forgiving of time limits to allow himself to take his sweet time.

Still, moments of relaxation were growing more and more scarce as time went by, and he took all that he could get.

* * *

He was not antisocial by any means. He enjoyed enthralling conversations on politics, the state of the economy, wild (and not so wild) conspiracy theories, history...

But there weren't that many people to converse on such topics with. Most were more interested in gossip, pop culture and stroking each-other's egos.

Thus he found that he quite enjoyed quiet solitude. Time to breathe, unwind, let go of the hectic thought processes to best deal with people, and just... relax.

Most often, he'd be kicked back on his couch with a book he wouldn't have the time to get more than a chapter into; a glass and bottle of bourbon on the coffee table with the dull glint of the sinking 'sun' lighting it up. Some times he'd leave mellow music in the background, but most of the time, he'd just end up dozing off to his own breathing.

It was peaceful and very rarely felt lonely.

* * *

He didn't give out his partner card easily. He didn't want people calling on him for help with missions or client requests when he had his own to do. Still, the world was give and take, and he needed assistance himself at times.

Overlook the fact that he only chose people who were likely to do most of the work without complaint.

One of the first was a rather small, young newman girl. She had the energy of at least five people and worked day in and day out to 'find something she lost track of.'

She called on him more than was reasonable (to the point neither of them thought it rude anymore when he'd give the one-word reply of "no.") and made no secret of her childish crush on him (and about four other people). Her honesty made it less awkward as she pouted that she knew he wasn't interested and was fine with it. He wondered if she thought of it as a game; see how much she could tease and swoon before being called a creep.

He pitied the man she ended up with one day.

Somehow, she still made a better conversation partner than most of the people who tried to butter him up. While she was no slouch in meaningless babble, she had a surprising understanding about the chain of command and who to look out for.

When did kids get so scary?

She also knew his aversion to effort and would invite him to help with the most trivial of tasks that more often than not just ended in a lazy picnic. He got to write the time off as work one way or another, so he was happy enough to humor her.

Crush aside, she was rather pleasant company after she'd calmed down.

* * *

When the second newman who seemed infatuated with him came along, he wondered just what kind of pattern it was turning into.

He was never sure if they were a man or a woman. It wasn't that they were that androgynous; it was like they changed daily and answered to both. It was strange, but not the strangest thing he'd seen in his days.

One of the things they complained about most often was dealing with people. They seemed content to listen to his own babble about the state of things, usually unfocused eyes snapping to attention as they listened intently.

He asked them one day why they hung around him so much when they couldn't be bothered with many others.

_"I enjoy your insight. You always have something interesting to say that makes me question how I viewed things. It's not common to find someone like that. It's nostalgic."_

Their eyes were far away at that point, but he never felt so respected.

They usually invited him just as backup rather than real help, content to leave him in the back just keeping the attention of whatever they weren't focusing on until they could get to it. Fraudulent missions claimed to take hours saw them spend most of the time laying beneath the sky, silently picking shapes in the clouds.

* * *

That newman had a very large support partner, built more like a full CAST. Instead of simple gathering missions, she could fulfill all manner of request.

They sent her to him on multiple occasions, either to fill a spot on the observation courses or to take him away from work.

She had little to no personality, only following her master's orders. She had a striking resemblance to her master that made him wonder how narcissistic they might have been, but there was something just...  _off_  about the design that instead made him curious. Not to mention that she was somehow more obviously female.

Even though she was built more like a CAST, she still only had the processing power and memory of a support partner. Her hard drive would fill up within a week and she would erase everything that wasn't directly important. She'd turn up not knowing who he was and not caring.

_"My Master has instructed me to invite you to supervise me as I gather materials on Naberius."_

All he had to do was make sure she didn't wander off a cliff. Otherwise he could just kick back and relax in the shade as she gathered fruit.

* * *

In another time, he spent the end of the day with a human woman he'd come to know very well. They'd met some number of years before the mess with The Elder and everything else.

She was refreshing. Things other people stressed on, she couldn't care less about. She had mediocre dreams but a strong determination. Like the newman, she held a respect for him, but didn't place him quite so high. He felt they were both humbled by the relationship and managed to better each-other.

She didn't call on him often— no, instead it was him calling on her to make sure she didn't get herself into trouble running off so recklessly.

The evenings were just as peaceful as the ones he'd previously spent alone. Artificial sunlight would bathe the room in a warm hue to match the warmth their bodies quietly shared. The gentle rise and fall with their breaths made either of them forget the weight of the other on their chest, feeling like they were on clouds.

He wasn't sure when it stopped or started. Had it ever? If he ever thought about it, it felt all too fuzzy.

* * *

The only other one he spent extensive time with felt much the same way when he thought about it, so he didn't.

It was another young newman man that had attached himself to him. He often felt like he was the only one that cared for him, or at least the first one. It probably wasn't the healthiest relationship, but he couldn't deny that he felt happy every time those eyes looked back at him with such devotion.

He was another one that tried not to bother him too much and tended to wait around until called himself. It seemed the only way to get the newman to ask for help was to ask assistance from him several times first; something to show that his presence wasn't a bother rather than simply tell him so. As high-maintenance and wishy-washy as he seemed, all it took was a little tug by the wrist to untangle his worried mess of a mind.

Evenings that weren't spent sleeping away the exhaustion of the work day were spent leisurely making dinner together or soaking in the bath. When they had less motivation to do much of anything, they'd call in delivery and finally watch that movie they never seemed to have time for. As busy as work was, those oddly domestic days should have been the most peaceful he could remember.

Instead, each moment felt painfully fleeting; as if the next time he blinked his eyes, he'd be in another time and place where he knew nobody.

* * *

In another time, he wakes up yet again to the alarms urging all ARKS to the frontlines. The twins are making quick work of one, two, who knows how many ships in the fleet. And something else isn't far behind them.

Only one of them can count as 'people,' and after remembering the heartbroken faces that had returned not so long ago, he decides that that one will be the worst one to deal with.

He begins about his room, which has only ever housed one in its time under his name, quickly yet calmly gathering and adorning the gear left just so in case of such emergencies.

ARKS work is tiring.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written October 2nd 2015
> 
> Started as something light, but once the Chrotwo got involved, it took a darker turn that ended up relevant to current events, much like "Hands Ticking Away". Wrote it on a tablet in a hot car with an annoying voice assaulting my ears with words that meant nothing, so it's not that great. But I like it. Playing with warbly timelines is fun when you don't have to give a crap about canon.
> 
> It's not really what I wanted to lead Aurum's drabble collection with, but it also works, I guess. Ah, since I kept everyone nameless... The final two characters are Sherri and Aurum. The rest will remain nameless, but know that they're not official characters.


	3. Treat

Aurum didn't like sweets.

Aurum definitely, absolutely did not like sweets.

Of course Chroto knew this well, because the young man had told him so himself. Multiple times. He had to commend him on how well he had enunciated for once.

It was difficult to take the claim seriously when his eyes would light up (but not the rest of his face; he tried so hard not to give it away) at each little treat. But he  _supposed_  he was just wasting his time.

The blond had been working hard from the day it was decided he'd enlist. The previous day had been particularly rough, and Chroto hadn't had the time to take him back out for more training, so he'd told him to take the day to rest.

Not that he listened. It wasn't unexpected when he came home to find him passed out at the kitchen table, slumped over some of the application papers.

He wasn't particularly good at anything he'd tried so far, but he'd certainly been giving it his all. Reaffirming that brought a small smile to Chroto's lips.

...Ah.

He spotted the opened box of chocolate wafer sticks next to him, completely empty. He'd left them out before he left in the morning, figuring a treat for working so hard wouldn't be too uncalled for.

One of the sticks, almost whole, still dangled from the newman's mouth, over the edge of the table.

...Hmm.

He checked to make sure Aurum was still breathing evenly, then stepped around the table. He slowly leaned down, took about an inch of the unfrosted end in his mouth and bit down.

He'd worked hard too, after all.

Standing straight again and chewing satisfactorily, he placed a hand on Aurum's shoulder to nudge him awake, though he seemed to already be stirring from the moment he bit his piece off.

"You'll catch a cold if you sleep there."

Aurum groaned a bit, mumbling a groggy 'welcome back' before snapping awake. "What time is it? I'll get dinner started—"

Chroto didn't move his hand, keeping the newman from getting up. "Just get ready for bed. S'been a long day for both of us, I'm sure."

Taking those moments to properly clear his vision, Aurum looked down at the table to the page he'd left off on, only to see a few fields smeared with chocolate from the treat that had fallen from his mouth when he sat up. He picked the half-eaten stick up and tried to salvage the page.

"Don't worry about it, I'll pick up another set tomorrow." At that, he was allowed to get up. "Just get to bed, alright? I'm heading that way anyway."

"...Alright." He answered quietly, setting the paper back down and getting a cloth to wipe the table off before actually heading to bed.

He went to pick the stick back up to pop the rest of it in his mouth, but hesitated upon seeing no bare end.

...That tug at his mouth...

...

_'...D-did he really...?'_

He stood blushing in the kitchen a good while still.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finished: November 12th 2014
> 
> That's not a typo! I wrote this one day after pocky day last year. This also wasn't what I expected to be posting so early in Aurum's drabble series. Real Life Dictates.
> 
> Not sure which branch this would be on exactly, but it'd probably be one where Aurum's feelings were reciprocated. I can't see Chroto being a pointless tease. A cruel tease, but not a pointless one.
> 
> Let's talk about food!  
> Sherri likes occasional sweets, but usually doesn't allow herself to have them due to genetic weight problems.  
> Aurum really likes sweets, but denies it because sweets are childish to him, and he doesn't want to be seen as childish.  
> I can see Chroto with a lollipop every once in a while. Not suggestively, either.


	4. Soulager

He was just getting ready to retire for the day when one of his regular clients peeked around the staircase. Chroto raised a hand to wave, but quickly found the young man latched on to him, forehead against his chest and arms trembling.

"Uh— Hey? You okay there?" He awkwardly placed his raised hand on the newman's shoulder.

He shook his head 'no' and his grip tightened on the back of his coat. "I'm sorry," he sobbed, "just.. please let me stay like this, for a while." He hiccuped and his voice cracked, "I don't have anyone else and I'm about to break. I'm sorry."

It took a few moments for Chroto to go over everything he knew about the blond. His name was... Aurum, wasn't it? Worked (poorly) with (many random) groups, often looked either like he'd rather be anywhere else or like he was about to cry, and obviously lied about both. So would he really be breaking down to someone he hardly knew without a good reason?

He glanced around for anyone that might be looking before lightly returning the embrace in attempts to calm him down. "Hey... you lie to them a lot, right?"

The younger man stiffened. "Only when I need to."

"Is this one of those times?"

"...More than ever, probably."

"Then don't beat yourself up over it too much. It's sad, but adults have to lie a lot. Just don't block off all your bridges with these lies, or you're going to end up hugging some weird old guy you hardly know."

That got a weak chuckle from him. Chroto didn't bring attention to it and only grinned.

"I'm sorry. Thank you."

Still speaking so distantly was expected, given their current business-only relationship, but it seemed a bit silly while Aurum was clinging to him so tightly. He wondered just how desperate he'd been for consolation and what drove him that far.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finished: February 13th 2015 10:54 PM
> 
> Aurum has many more branches to his timeline than Sherri does, but I'll only include a brief summary of the two main ones here:
> 
> A) Kicked out of his house for poor behavior, snuck into a ruined, abandoned residential district and scrounged around. ARKS ops were sent in a few months later to investigate D-arker activity, and Chroto finds and brings him home and tries to get him back on his feet.
> 
> B) He leaves home himself and enlists in ARKS as a change of pace. Through various ARKS duties, he becomes familiar with Chroto.
> 
> This uses timeline B.


	5. 50 Theme Alpha 1 of 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So the rules of this as a challenge are that each are only supposed to be 1 sentence long. I didn't find that very fun, but I guess that's the "challenge" part of it. I'd rather just use them as prompts and get some nice drabbles out of them rather than some crappy, uninspired one-liners. Kudos to those who can make it interesting, but I am not one of them. Oh, also I did some of them multiple times because I had more than one idea for it...
> 
> Some kind of bleed into the next— or backwards, in some cases. Oops.
> 
> There is no order to the events of these, so anything like this won't be on the main index list.
> 
> Will be posting them 10 at a time to stretch this out as long as I can. Shamelessly.  
> Hopefully Ms. Noah won't hate Aurum as much after this...
> 
> Started writing: January 5th 2015  
> Finished writing: April 29th 2015

#01 - Comfort

He found himself at a loss for what to do when it seemed Aurum needed comforting. Neither would say a word, as they both knew the moment either of them verbally addressed it, he'd fall apart. All he knew was that he couldn't just leave him alone.

A hand rubbing at his back was the best he could do. The boy seemed to fight himself on it like the breath he was holding, but he would eventually give in and lean his head on his shoulder.

* * *

#02 - Kiss

Their first kiss had been one he didn't think he wanted, but the shocked and confused expression on Aurum's face when he'd pushed him away had tugged at him in a way he hadn't expected.

Their second, he made sure to make as sickeningly sweet as possible.

Now, each connection, regardless of intensity or duration, held an addictive passion that would linger for uncounted moments afterwards.

* * *

#03 - Soft

He started off treating the newman gently since he flinched at almost everything, but the hands guiding his own turned his soft touches into near bruises at times.

* * *

#04 - Pain

It had been entirely unexpected. More pain was the last thing he wanted to give him.

"Don't hold back. Break me."

As much as he knew Aurum enjoyed being treated gently, he some times wondered if he enjoyed being treated roughly more.

* * *

#05 - Potatoes

The first time Aurum tried to peel potatoes, he nicked his finger pretty bad. Chroto stumbled a bit before getting a bandage for him, not noticing his eyes linger as the blond sucked on his injured finger.

* * *

#06 - Rain

The first time Chroto experienced natural rain had felt amazingly freeing. As he introduced Aurum to it, he wondered if his face had lit up as bright as Aurum's had.

He half-heartedly warned him about catching a cold as he stepped out into it, but soon found himself running through the storm alongside him.

The resulting cold was well worth the laughter he heard that day.

* * *

#07 - Chocolate 1

Aurum insisted he didn't like sweets, but the way his eyes subtly lit up betrayed those sentiments.

* * *

#07 - Chocolate 2

They had never discussed Valentines Day or White Day. It was a careful dance to use the stove without being noticed.

After awkwardly exchanging them, they decided to just make a cake together next year.

* * *

#08 - Happiness

Something clicked in his mind the evening he brought Aurum home. The boy sat shivering on the edge of the couch, hair still damp from his first shower in months, wearing some of Chroto's spare clothes. Even though he flinched at every little thing, he was worlds calmer than when he first laid eyes on him or on the campship back. Looking at him then and comparing him to the feral mess he'd been mere hours earlier, he decided he'd bring happiness back to this boy one way or another.

* * *

#09 - Telephone

Aurum would almost never initiate contact. The one time he did had ended horribly and scared him back into waiting for others to act first.

Even after moving out, he never called first. Chroto was always the one to call to check on him, and he never missed the relief in the newman's voice and face.

* * *

#10 - Ears

It was an awkward night when he found out that some newmans' ears were erogenous zones. He berated himself at the time for the curiosity that had him fondling them longer than was necessary.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> #09 - Telephone  
> Mention of his face isn't a mistake. It's a visiphone, duh.


	6. 50 Theme Alpha 2 of 5

#11 - Name

Aurum was so flustered when he mentioned their names both holding words for colors. He didn't think much of it at the time, but now he thinks black and gold go rather well together.

"That girl that keeps coming by... her name sounds kind of like a word for 'white,' too..."

"You're just grasping at straws now. Get over here."

* * *

#12 - Sensual

"Your voice... no matter what you're saying, it sounds so sensual."

He took advantage of that on multiple occasions.

* * *

#13 - Death

Chroto occasionally wondered what either of them would do in the event of the other's death. It needed addressing, whether either of them wanted to think about it or not.

When he brought it up, he was surprised when Aurum told him he'd already registered his will. He didn't have much in the first place, but he'd entrusted Chroto with the task of finding a good charity to donate anything to, knowing they all came and went and corrupted.

"Just... keep my katana, I guess. I know it's not going to be useful to you, and it's really selfish, but... I don't want you to forget about me."

He gave a small smile and ruffled his hair a bit. "Won't be forgetting about you any time soon." He sat back and idly watched the flames of the small campfire they'd started to keep warm on their break. "I'll have to revise mine a bit. Know you're more than capable of making it on your own, so I'm not too worried."

Aurum kept his head low. "I'll be okay as long as I can keep moving."

"Figure you'd like my hat, at least."

He let out a shuddering, breathy chuckle. "Yeah... I'd like that." He leaned all too readily into the arm that wrapped around him.

"Neither of us are going anywhere for a while still. It's all settled, so let's forget about it again."

* * *

#14 - Sex

Aurum still blushed like it was his first time, even years later; he kept the same youthful passion, and some times Chroto felt like that was what kept him going.

* * *

#15 - Touch

For the longest time, Aurum would flinch away from contact as if he expected to be struck. It was... worrying. He denied abuse and... _abuse_ , and he believed he wasn't lying, but the symptoms were still disturbingly similar.

Chroto was glad when the flinching slowly stopped, but then he noticed it was exclusive to him. The mature part of him ( _majority_ , he corrected) was disappointed, as it meant a lack of actual healing. However, he couldn't stop the less-than-mature part of himself from feeling a sick sense of pride that only _he_ was allowed to touch him.

* * *

#16 - Weakness

His own problems were some of the few things he didn't want to talk about. When he couldn't help but remember the harder times, he was glad to have someone who was just fine to hold and be held.

* * *

#17 - Tears 1

"I didn't cry at all before."

He found that hard to believe, but as time went on, he began to believe it earnestly.

"Because nobody would care or they'd just make it worse."

He took it very seriously; cherishing the trust it took for him to allow himself to _feel_ and let it be known. He'd stay and let him cling as tight and long as he needed, soothing away the hiccupping apologies.

* * *

#17 - Tears 2

Even though he kind of expected it, it was still jarring.

Aurum may have been easy to make _want_ to cry, but he'd always just bite his cheek and hold it back.

He didn't seem to have any barriers when it came to intimacy, though.

His eyes watered and it stayed at his eyelashes during most kisses, but he nearly broke down into full-on sobs some nights. Chroto had stopped immediately, backing off and not so willing to accept Aurum's insistence that he was fine.

"You'll make me cry for real i-if I've ruined this. I, I promise I won't do that coy, fake 'no, stop' stuff. 'Stop' is 'stop,' and I can say it..."

It felt like it took too long to really believe him.

* * *

#18 - Speed

If there was one thing the newman was good at, it was speed. It was a shame he didn't have the stamina to make real use of it.

* * *

#19 - Wind

It was and wasn't surprising to find out that Chroto was most attuned with wind. After feeling his Deband so many times, he thought he'd at least be ice.

But it made sense, he supposed. His movements were quick and smooth and light— even his presence felt like a soothing breeze.

* * *

#20 - Freedom

Whenever that strange fellow kicked up the dust in the inner workings of ARKS, Chroto wondered how difficult it would be to just abandon it all and take to one of the many planets. Living in paranoia and fear of the very government you worked for wasn't such a great way to live.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> #11 - Name  
> Chroto → kuroto → kuro → Japanese for "Black"  
> Aurum → Latin for "Gold"  
> Sherri → [some stupid grasping at straws] → shiro → Japanese for "White"
> 
> #19 - Wind  
> One of his NPC partner traits has him cast Deband under certain circumstances. His ES chip is wind element. Unaddressed, but his title on ES translates to "Crimson Marksman"— the kanji for "marksman" being the same as what's used for the titles given for leveling the Ranger class, not Gunner.
> 
> #20 - Freedom  
> I don't think they ever actually said what ARKS was. A government, a military, an organized bunch of mercenaries. I mean, we know their objectives, both past and present, but... what ARE they as a group?


	7. 50 Theme Alpha 3 of 5

#21 - Life

Life seemed to be just a thing that Aurum put up with before; just living day-to-day mindlessly and muttering, ‘life is only killing time.’ Chroto was glad to see him actually living it now, but he tried every day to give him more reasons for it than just himself. After all, that also was no way to live.

* * *

#22 - Jealousy

He’d already been expecting Aurum to be the jealous type, but he was glad that he eventually realized it was baseless. It was still cute when he tried to hide it; he’d stand further away and seem to shrink. It took only a tug, ruffle and smile to remind him that Chroto wasn’t going anywhere.

* * *

#23 - Hands

Anything he directed Aurum to do, the newman would gladly follow through or allow him to do; it was strangely pleasing to use one’s fingers to play with someone’s mouth.

* * *

#24 - Taste

He found he didn’t entirely hate the lingering bitterness on Aurum’s mouth, but maybe that was just because the blond got more embarrassed than he did.

* * *

#25 - Devotion

It was almost frightening and uncomfortable at times to see the amount of adoration and devotion the boy held for him.

* * *

#26 - Forever

He didn’t expect it to last five years, much less forever— but when it came to bonds, he found it was much better to just not worry about it. Whatever will happen will happen; enjoy the 'now’ while it lasts.

* * *

#27 - Blood 1

“You’re going to be fine,” he’d shakily assured Aurum as his blood-slicked hands fumbled with a trimate.

* * *

#27 - Blood 2

Seeing him in the hospital for the first time, red peeking through the bandages, he was simultaneously relieved and even more worried.

* * *

#27 - Blood 3

They didn’t realize until the very end that he’d made Aurum bleed. He dragged him to the hospital despite Aurum insisting he was fine. Not quite how he imagined their first time to end.

* * *

#28 - Sickness 1

It’d been a long time since he had someone to take care of him while he was sick. When he was returning the favor after Aurum inevitably caught it from him, he wondered if the newman ever had someone do that for him.

* * *

#28 - Sickness 2

He thought it odd that Aurum could liken him to a father-figure despite the attraction, but it was definitely he himself who thought the worst of it; “Not that a mother complex would have been much better, but… I know, I’m fucked up. It’s sick. You don’t need to say it.”

* * *

#29 - Melody

Once while passing a vacant piano, Aurum slowed down to lightly press a few keys with one hand to make a simple little tune. It was obviously off-beat and a few notes sounded sour. With red cheeks at realizing he was being listened to, he recounted failed piano lessons from his childhood.

“I wasn’t good at it immediately, so they didn’t encourage me to keep trying— just like with everything else, so I gave up. …Always liked the trumpet more anyway.”

* * *

#30 - Star

Names based on charted stars and asteroids weren’t uncommon. It was curious how the roots of those names seemed lost to time.


	8. 50 Theme Alpha 4 of 5

#31 - Home

With everyone getting shuffled around so often, it was no wonder they didn't have any particular attachment to any given area. Home was made up of people rather than structures— and the home he ended up with was quite cozy.

* * *

#32 - Confusion

He wanted to say that it wasn't his intention to confuse the poor boy, but he couldn't even say that much honestly. He knew that he'd been subconsciously spurring him on, and he wished he could take it back. He didn't want to be the type to play mind games.

* * *

#33 - Fear

Some times, he felt like he couldn't fear anything. He worried that if anything serious ever came up, Aurum wouldn't have it in him to keep himself together; he'd break down right along with him.

But then he remembers that he's not that hard a read, and Aurum's held it together pretty damn well.

* * *

#34 - Lightning/Thunder

Naberius' lightning was tame enough that standard units brought it down to a sharp shock at worst.

There was something exhilarating about it.

* * *

#35 - Bonds

He wasn't sure when Aurum snaked his roots in, but every passing day made it feel more natural. It took him a little longer than he felt it should have to realize that it was something he didn't want to lose.

* * *

#36 - Market

"Stay away from that man in lavender."

"What? Why?"

"He's a bad man. A very bad man."

"But... my weapon maintenance..."

"I'll teach you."

* * *

#37 - Technology

The southern-most region of Naberius' Greenscape was absolutely horrid. The heat was trapped beneath the canopy of trees and the humidity was so thick he felt like just breathing was putting back what he was losing in sweat.

And they had another two hours to wait for 'rescue.' Their campship wasn't picking up their telepipe's signal.

He huffed in frustration, tugging at his shirt collar. Waterproof suddenly wasn't so pleasant. He felt like he was being boiled alive. "Really makes you appreciate Climate Control..."

"I kind of like it..."

" _Of course you would._ "

* * *

#38 - Gift 1

His eyes roamed over every bandage still covering the newman's body. He was up and about, making tea even though Chroto offered to do it. He insisted he was fine for menial tasks, but he wasn't any good at hiding any of his winces from bending to retrieve the kettle to lifting it off the stove.

It'd been a close call, and he realized again that each day was a gift in their line of work.

* * *

#38 - Gift 2

Aurum had still been denying it to himself seven months into his prolonged stay. His desire for praise was just like the attempts for recognition from his father, and that fluttery feeling was only a foreign happiness at receiving said praise.

Chroto was just a father figure, and a better one than his own father had ever been.

So, on a whim in the middle of their seventh month of cohabitation, he decided it might not be a bad idea to try and show his gratitude as appropriately as possible without a gift.

A nice breakfast that he couldn't quite bring himself to arrange on a tray and take to the older man's bedroom, a warm bath drawn for when he returned, dinner ready just as he was finished, and fresh, warm sheets for the very end of the day. Like with breakfast, he couldn't really work up the nerve to write a card or outright say something as embarrassing as 'Happy Father's Day.'

_"Don't get me wrong, I appreciate all of this, but you've got me curious."_

_"Ah... Well... ...Shouldn't you call your father at some point today?"_

The soft grin and fingers brushing over his head drew heat to his face, though his expression and voice remained neutral.

_"You'll make a good dad one day."_

_"Little early for me to be thinking of that, isn't it? Hahah."_

The following dream of defiling those clean sheets together marked the first of many restless, confused nights.

* * *

#39 - Smile (Chroto's side)

Aurum never used to smile. His eyes were half-lidded and dull, and his mouth rested in a slight frown. When a situation came where he felt like he should smile, he'd force the corners of his lips up, but his eyes wouldn't change to match. It was difficult to make him give a genuine smile, so each one felt like a victory. He tried not to call attention to it for fear it'd go away; he'd simply smile back.

Nowadays, his face tends to rest with a more neutral expression; his eyes open and mouth giving nothing away. Each smile is still precious, but trying to bring one out no longer feels like an uphill battle.

* * *

#39 - Smile (Aurum's side)

Chroto's smile is many things to Aurum. It's calming in his worry, uplifting in his sorrow, irritating in his annoyance, infectious in his joy, and intoxicating in their intimacy. His eyes may be hidden most of the time, but he's learned to read the rest of his face well enough that he can never mistake one smile for another.

Each are many and invoke many in turn, but they're all addictive.

* * *

#40 - Innocence

Aurum is innocent only while he sleeps. When his expression is sour and voice bitter or when he's thoroughly exhausted him, it all melts away as long as he feels secure in his rest. His face isn't quite 'angelic,' but it's at peace; his lips murmuring sweet dreams as he burrows closer and deeper into the sleep where he's free from adult worries.

* * *

#40 - Innocence (Aurum's side)

Chroto would have everyone believe he is innocent, but Aurum can see the cunning devil beneath many of his friendly grins.


	9. 50 Theme Alpha 5 of 5

#41 - Completion

It was easy to get him invested in just about anything as long as he used the right phrasing. It was encouraging in the beginning, but he quickly realized the boy became obsessive. It was difficult to tell when he was just trying to earn praise and when he was being a completionist. Chroto decided either one could be both cute and creepy.

* * *

#42 - Clouds

Laying on their backs on the ground, picking shapes in the clouds was something they could do on just about any planet. It was a peaceful way to spend their breaks on easier missions.

* * *

#43 - Sky

The first time Aurum saw a real sky from solid ground was overwhelming. There suddenly wasn't an end anymore; it expanded far beyond what his eyes could perceive and he knew it. He felt smaller than he had in a long time and reached out frantically for Chroto's arm— but he wasn't there; instead, some girl he couldn't even remember the name of that he'd been paired up with for training. She'd jumped, started to scold him for just touching her as he pleased, then stopped as she realized he was on the verge of a panic attack.

That was how his first training mission had ended before it even began. He never saw that girl again and he was glad since he'd embarrassed himself so badly.

Every time he looked up at the simulated sky of the ORACLE fleet's ships, he couldn't unsee the lack of depth nor stop himself from tracing the sharper edges down to gauge exactly where it ended. Both real and fake skies had become unnerving and it took him a long time to forget it.

* * *

#44 - Heaven

Heaven was described as being perfect. People would half-heartedly talk about comfort and ideal lifestyles as, 'this is like heaven.'

In his most whimsical days, he imagined a good future having a pretty lady with a bright smile and heart-fluttering laugh to welcome him home each day. He would have a simple but fulfilling job and maybe she'd write thought-provoking novels that he'd enjoy. It didn't deviate much from the common hope for the future of 'good job, cute wife.'

He wasn't sure when that thought had disappeared, but it wasn't like he ever held tight to it anyway. He didn't really expect it.

But reality ended up shifting not too far from it. That disagreeable lad he'd picked up out of the gutter had come a long way and rooted himself in deep. Cleaned up to be pretty, a smile worn from disuse, a breathy chuckle that had his chest feeling like a coiled spring. They walked in through the door together from the same simple enough and fulfilling job, muttering tired and sarcastic "I'm home"'s before taking shifts between showering and making dinner so they could both be clean and fed before finally collapsing into the same bed just to repeat it all again the next day. It wasn't too far a deviation. Good job, cute lover.

He certainly never would have expected that this was where he'd end up. It wasn't anywhere near 'perfect' and he wouldn't call it 'heaven,' but...

Looking down at the hand loosely gripping his shirt and following it all the way to the sleeping face snuggled against his side...

Chroto grinned, _'Close enough.'_

* * *

#45 - Hell

...On the other hand, maybe he'd dragged the poor boy into hell.

He watched Aurum's hands tremble through the faint light of photons, hovering close over a limp body. The light pulsed as he grew more desperate, the trembling rising to his shoulders.

Chroto kneeled down and placed a hand over Aurum's, "It's too late."

He didn't stop; only shook his head and leaned closer. "No, I studied these. I'm— I can..."

The older man frowned deeply, taking Aurum's other hand and pulling him away. He struggled for a few moments before he gave up the trust in his own judgment and let himself break down.

"What am I even doing here, if I can't help anybody?!"

He let go of Aurum's wrists to wrap one arm over his chest and cover his eyes with his other hand. The blond's hands gripped his arm and his head leaned back against his shoulder as he wept.

"The best you can. We're all doing our best." He bit his lip as he caught the other bodies in his peripheral view. He recognized several of them; knew most of them could pull their weight while carrying about five others' when it came down it. Yet here they were...

It'd be a miracle if the two of them even got out alive by the end of the day. Even if they did, he didn't doubt that many of the oncoming nights would be restless with nightmares.

"I'm sorry." The words left his lips before he even knew he wanted to say them.

* * *

#46 - Sun

For as much as Chroto seemed to dislike the sun, Aurum always thought it matched him well.

A little too well. The way he'd turn to face him with a grin, the sunlight giving his face a gentle glow... He looked like a damn toothpaste commercial.

* * *

#47 - Moon

He _really_ liked the way the moons illuminated Aurum's body as he rose and situated himself.

* * *

#48 - Waves

The 'seas' of the ORACLE fleet were actually off limits and just a pretty means of storing their water, so they'd never felt natural waves until arriving on Wopal. The sand being swept from under their feet was one of the most bizarre sensations.

* * *

#49 - Hair

After he'd first given him something to tie his hair back with, he almost always had it in that ponytail. To see him with it let down felt like private moments.

* * *

#50 - Supernova

After realizing the danger he was in with ARKS, and after coming to terms with the fact that he may very well die, Aurum started wondering how he'd like to go.

Of course, he'd like to die heroically; doing something amazing like using the last of his strength to kill a great threat, or shielding many people from a fatal attack.

Being sucked out of an airlock and bounced around the outer safety field around the docking area until finally landing in the rescue ship's engine was not very heroic.

He wasn't sure if he could live with the embarrassment of being the only one to not realize the evacuation notice wasn't just a drill anyway.


	10. Split Ends [NSFW]

"Your hair's gotten pretty long, hasn't it?"

Aurum jolted just a little bit at the interruption of the silence, then felt the brief burning in his center he always felt every time he heard the older man's voice, and finally began fidgeting as the words and their implications sunk in.

"U-uh, yeah, I guess..." he fingered the end of a blond strand to distract himself from looking at Chroto. "It has." It hung just past his shoulder blades, having gone untrimmed for the last year and a half or so. It was one of the very few things that hadn't been offered yet. Thinking more on that, he was surprised it wasn't one of the first things offered, until he remembered just how skittish he'd been.

"Could cut it for you. Or take you somewhere to get it cut, if you don't trust my handiwork." Chroto grinned wryly, probably recalling the time he was scolded for how he chose to care for his own hair.

_'That style isn't good for your hair. You'll go bald young with that and your hat combined.'_

_'It's easier to maintain. You know I'd rather not fuss if I don't have to. And if you do it right, it's actually good for hair growth.'_

_'If you don't want to deal with it properly, just cut it off.'_

_'But I like it.'_

_'Then take care of it properly! Putting those braids in and trying to wash them can't be less effort than just running a brush through it.'_

_'Ehhh...'_

_'...It'd probably look good if you let it down, anyway...'_

_'Hm?'_

_'Nothing.'_

So, yeah, he had reason to opt for a professional, from all he'd seen Chroto do with his hair.

But as he'd done with many of the offers he'd received over his time living with him, he couldn't bring himself to be another expense.

In hindsight, he probably should have taken up the offer to see a doctor. Maybe. But he was still kicking just fine, so maybe not.

He was avoiding focusing.

"I would have offered when I first brought you in, but..." Chroto chuckled, "I was worried I'd see you huddled in a corner."

"It's fine, if you're willing to do it..." He suddenly felt the need to justify it. "I mean, it gets in the way during training, so it's better to just get it done than wait at a salon all day."

He'd finally decided it was time to stop freeloading off of Chroto and figure out what he was going to do. He'd wanted to try joining ARKS along with his friend when he'd been younger, but was disallowed by his parents. Even if there wasn't much they could say against it anymore, the option had never crossed his mind since Chroto had taken him in. He felt guilty for not thinking of it until the older man suggested it.

...Well, more immediately, he felt like he was being asked to leave. He'd already been told that it wasn't a permanent arrangement, but some part of him still wanted to think that this domestic life would continue for at least a bit longer.

Even though that set him walking far too lightly and panicky, he was slowly warming up to the idea again. The days Chroto took him to the training center to get a head start before enlisting ended up being some of Aurum's favorite. He may not have taken to everything quickly, but receiving praise when he did and all the instruction was enough to keep him from worrying about it. There was also the thought of possibly of working alongside him.

...Which brought him to the implications of the offer. Nothing had even happened yet, but it already felt like a parting gift, and that had his stomach feeling like it was tying itself in knots.

But it wasn't like he'd never over-thought others' actions before. He tried to calm himself with that thought.

"You sure?" Chroto asked seriously, then broke into a grin again. "You trust me with your appearance?"

Aurum tried to ignore the heat rising to his face and turned his back when he felt he couldn't. "It's not like it matters. It's just hair. It's just my hair. It'll grow back. And it's not like I have to look good for anyone."

He heard him chuckle, "A good mindset to have. And looks may not be everything, but I appreciated coming home to something pleasant."

The words were out of Aurum's mouth before he could think about them. "It's not like I'll be here soon anyway." He was grateful they didn't come out sounding as bitter as he felt. He felt like such a brat; he hadn't even noticed it as a compliment.

"Never said you couldn't come visit." The brunet's smile had turned soft, "This isn't me kicking you out, you know. Even after you graduate and make a life for yourself, you should come back every once in a while and show me how you're doing."

Aurum shot a moody look over his shoulder, "I appreciate it, I really do, but... you're starting to sound like a father." _'Or what I'd imagine a good father to sound like, at least.'_

He didn't miss a beat. "That makes one less thing to worry about for the future, then."

It wasn't the first time Aurum found himself comparing Chroto to a father figure, since he really was the closest thing he'd had; his own adoptive father had hardly wanted anything to do with him after age six. Only fatherly thing he'd done more or less amounted to letting him live in his house, until he didn't.

"Anyway. Is now a good time?"

"Sure."

"Alright. I'll find some scissors."

It wasn't any less awkward each time he thought of it. He removed the arm that had unconsciously wound itself around his abdomen and refrained from dwelling on it.

_'How messed up.'_

When Chroto returned, he took a seat on the couch. "I don't have any chairs that would work for this, and you're just a bit too tall to do it standing. Should be fine if you kneel here."

Aurum swallowed, eying the carpeted floor between Chroto's spread knees that was being indicated.  _That was what he'd say he was looking at if it ever came up._

"...Right." He awkwardly knelt about a foot away and turned and shifted about the floor until he was settled with his back to Chroto, one of the man's legs to either side of him.

And trying desperately not to think about it.

He felt ungloved hands toying with the first lock. "How much?"

 _'A lot,'_  he almost responded with lowly, but caught himself. He reached back to grab a piece of hair to show how far to cut, but accidentally brushed his hand along the strong inner thigh beside him, and all too close to something else. He pretended not to notice and gripped his hair tightly to try and counter any shaking, inching his fingers up to just below his neck. "About here."

As he took the strand and slowly cut where Aurum's fingers had been, Chroto also pretended not to notice the trembling. The strands fell one by one as he continued in his task.

Why was he so jumpy after all this time? Aurum still couldn't figure it out. It'd been more months than he could remember since he noticed the budding affection and attraction for the older man. He'd decided just a few weeks ago that he'd stop pretending those feelings didn't exist and just go with it before he left. He'd been unable to work himself up to actually confess yet, but he had become a bit bolder; small provocative things, like 'getting caught' in just a shirt and boxers, adding just a bit more sway to his hips, and... trying to smile more. If he had the confidence to do all that, why was he still a fidgety mess when it came to actually being close?

His thoughts came to a halt as fingers brushed against his left ear. He involuntarily gasped and tried to suppress the upward jerk of his shoulders.

_'...Th-that...'_

It happened again, that time more firmly. He managed to hold back the gasp, but not the shiver that ran down his spine.

Aurum had learned more about himself in a year under Chroto's care than he had in twelve years with his adoptive parents. That day, he learned something almost as important as his non-binary sexuality.

His ears happened to be erogenous zones.

Professional barbers had been overly cautious not to touch them at all. Such a thing was never taught in school, but then again, sex ed. was probably only a single page in what should have been proper education on the subject. (Besides, the teacher had been a human; what would  _they_  know about it?) He'd never found a need to touch them for himself beyond cleaning, which seemed universally pleasurable among humans and newmans— but not  _sexually_.

What a thing to find out. What a  _time_  to find out.

Chroto had paused after brushing it the first time, having caught the reaction. Though, to him, it looked like Aurum was merely ticklish; perfectly innocent.

One never passes up a chance like that.

So he kept doing it, delighting in the squirming and attempts at saving his 'dignity.' Really, he was always so uptight and guarded. It wasn't difficult to get a rise out of him, but the reactions were always something Chroto guiltily enjoyed; whether it was making Aurum bite his own mouth to avoid grinning at his  _spectacular_ humor, making him so exasperated he lost what few words he had, sending him hiding his face in his palms in embarrassment, or inspiring an evening of careful thought. (He didn't stop to think where all of that swayed him to more; a playful father-figure or just a plain jerk.)

It took all of Aurum's willpower not to grab at the legs he was knelt between and throw his head back. Gathering the fabric of his own pants wasn't grounding him at all and his head was heating up and—

"Something wrong?"

There was an odd humor in the man's voice that Aurum hardly noticed in his current state of mind.

He mumbled, but he wasn't quite sure what came out of his mouth. Maybe something like 'no,' or 'I'm fine,' but the sounds continued a bit too far for those.

There was just something endearing about the thought of reducing someone to laughter on their sides from just touching a sensitive patch of skin. Though Aurum had begun to smile more often, Chroto had yet to hear him laugh. It might have been his last chance in a long time to hear it. Considering the shape he'd been in when he first brought him home, he really wanted him to leave having (re?)-learned how to laugh.

He set the scissors aside, took an ear in each hand and started playing with them earnestly; thumbs running lightly along the back cartilage and fingers ghosting over all the inner parts.

All Aurum could manage at that point was not to moan. He couldn't keep a thought going more than a few words, his head was in such a haze and it was only growing thicker. His hands had given up trying to settle for his pants— which had started feeling tighter —and gripped at the short carpet fibers beside him. It kept slipping, making it seem more like his hands were just running through the carpet.

But it needed to stop. It needed to stop long ago, but he couldn't find the words to say. Chroto had obviously thought it just an innocent way to tease him, so how could he really ask him to stop at this point? He couldn't believably pretend he was ticklish all of a sudden—  _what to do about the growing bulge_  —and outright saying what his actions were really doing to him felt like it'd be more embarrassing than letting it play out.

Chroto realized it as the tips of the newman's ears burned hot. He looked down to see the desperate grasping he was doing and the tension in his legs.

It certainly wasn't the reaction he'd intended, but...

He liked to pride himself on his observational skills, but he was also willfully oblivious regarding others' opinions of himself much of the time (perhaps a habit drilled into him because it seemed 'humble'); but even he wasn't dense enough to miss Aurum's behavior entirely. Yes, he'd only noticed it somewhat recently with the boy's indirect yet rather bold (for him) advances as of late, but it also made him realize it'd started long before then.

And maybe he shouldn't have been so careless as to touch parts of his body, knowing the unspoken feelings. So why did he? He'd decided the night he noticed them that he didn't plan on condoning it or fueling it. Five years may not have been much in the long run, but staring at seventeen, it felt like a world of difference. But he still felt for Aurum, whatever those feelings were— almost certainly not the same the newman harbored —and it was hard to deny from day one that he was attractive, though in the androgynous way that seemed common among newmen.

Despite the logical side of him knowing he should stop and apologize and forget the whole thing happened, another part of him wondered just how far he could take it before Aurum broke. He shouldn't be leading him on—  _why did it have to be leading on?_  —or knowingly doing something so inappropriate to someone his age—  _he turned eighteen soon, didn't he? What was the big deal? It'd be as consensual now as it would be in a month_ —and what if this damaged the poor kid for life, skewed his morals and principles—  _he wasn't that weak; made sure of that,_ can _make sure of that_  —or what if he misunderstood—  _what was there to misunderstand in the first place? And what were words for anyway?_  —and nothing was right about this—

But curiosity is a strong thing.

His grip on the ears firmed and his pace slowed, massaging the unfamiliar anatomy deliberately, from the middle to the tips and back down to the base. He lingered there as he felt an arm finally tangle with his left leg, trembling and grasping. He could hear the deep breathing finally come loose as well, hitching as he rubbed circles around the bases.

He just barely caught the subtle movement of Aurum's hips before he heard the whimpering plea for him to stop.

But did he really want him to stop, or did Aurum still think he was just playing?

He gently pinched and kneaded the earlobes, fingers reaching around to massage the area in front of his ears. The moan that tried to tear from Aurum's throat sounded strangled as he sunk lower to try and find friction with the floor.

That just wouldn't do.

Chroto leaned in, shifted his right leg forward and bent his knee outward, bringing his socked foot up to rest firmly on the newman's crotch. Almost immediately, Aurum leaned back against him— or, well, leaned his head against his pelvis. His right arm was braced against the floor and couch for balance as his knees spread wider and he balled his left fist in the fabric of Chroto's left pant leg.

Well, there was no way he didn't know now, and he wasn't asking him to stop.

So he continued.

His fingers kept working at the long ears, but he only added pressure with his foot and shifted slightly to get a feel for the erection straining beneath. Aurum seemed to have given up holding back, gasping and groaning freely as his fingers slowly mapped where got the best reactions.

The head pressed against him made him all too aware of his own growing arousal. Between the breathy moans, the heated skin, the grabbing, and the squirming and _twitching_  against him, it was hard  _not_  to let his body react.

But above all of that, it was the thought that  _he_  was the one to break Aurum down to that; the trembling that only stimulated him more was  _his_ doing _,_ and he had the haughty boy basically at his mercy _. (He shouldn't be feeling pride or any of what he was feeling at that. This shouldn't be happening.)_

Aurum felt like he was losing his damn mind. He wanted to turn around and ask  _why_ , or whatever a responsible person would be doing instead of just letting it happen without a word. He should have been absolutely concerned with why it was happening so out of the blue, with no previous interest being shown, (And he was, in the back of his mind; swirling and mixing worries for what might have happened to his caregiver to make his actions  _make sense._ ) but it was getting more and more difficult with fingers exploring every crevice of his ears and—  _oh stars, what was he doing with his toes_ —

The pants he wore were thin, meant for sleeping; even if he'd gotten up to walk away earlier, it would have been impossible to hide anything. The same way, he felt every shifting muscle in Chroto's foot as he started moving it; he started out just lightly pressing and letting up with the ball of his foot, then began bending his ankle to rub along the shaft with his arch and tease at the sides with his heel. Somewhere along the way, he'd managed to pull the foreskin down, so when he began to tug lightly at his ears and spread his toes to squeeze at the head and rub beneath it, Aurum couldn't help but buck his hips with a trembling whimper through clenched teeth.

The blond's head pressed harder against Chroto with that movement, earning a quiet grunt. As fun as it would have been to just leave him hanging there (apparently close, if the changing friction of the fabric was any indicator)—  _force_  him to say something,  _anything;_ that voice was quickly starting to make work of him —the heat building up between them was making him impatient. He resisted shifting so Aurum's head wasn't leaning quite dead-center on his clothed erection.

Aurum seemed to be getting impatient himself; his hips hadn't quite lowered the whole way, and his head and back against Chroto and the couch provided enough balance that his right arm was free again. He might not have even noticed he was moving it, slowly and shakily reaching first for his thigh—

Ohhh no. He hadn't come this far just to let him finish himself off. Chroto abandoned the right ear to seize the shaking hand, pinning it against his own thigh for lack of anywhere better. (Could have nudged him to start giving a little back— but there'd be plenty of time later —wait, what?) He pressed his foot down to get him to lower his hips. He complied, but his back was still arching, pressing the back of his head closer and  _dammit._

Aurum gasped and turned his head just slightly to catch glimpse of their hands overlapping— Chroto's fingers digging into his wrist, foot still working at him —before the breath came right back out much higher at the warm, voiceless breath across his right ear. All the stimuli combined with the thought of the firmness behind his head—

It was just both too much, yet not quite enough. Something had to give, or just….  _just_ …

The next breath carried his name and pushed him past the edge; his left hand grabbed at Chroto's knee, his right trying to link with its captor, hips pressing as far upward as he was being allowed ( _fuck, his foot hadn't stopped_ ), back arched and head thrown back with a shaky cry.

Chroto didn't notice the grin that spread across his own lips until it was too late. The back of his mind was questioning it, but most of him was focusing on the moment; on slowly working Aurum down from the high he'd given him. (What was left was thinking about what to do about the problem Aurum was leaning his head so heavily against.) His left hand and right foot had slowed but kept rubbing, massaging while his right squeezed at the hand under it. By the time the tension throughout the body beneath him finally dissipated, he could feel the damp spots on his sock. ( _He'd make Aurum do the laundry later; make him remember every sensation he gave him all over again_ —)

Once the newman was limp against him, head lolling against his thigh and catching his breath, he set his left hand on his knee, foot back on the floor, and his own back against the couch.

Well, shit. Now what?

Their right hands were still joined. Sort of. Whatever it was they were doing.

And he missed the contact with the back of his head.  _Ugh,_  if he hadn't thought about it, he probably could have forgotten.

The last shudder to run through Aurum made that impossible.

He gave the hand a soft squeeze and shifted it just a bit further up, bringing attention back to himself. Aurum sat up and turned his head a bit to look, then slowly and cautiously turned the rest of the way to look up into his face. He didn't look nearly as embarrassed as Chroto thought he would, but a blush still painted his cheeks and it was easy to tell he had no idea how to proceed, either.

Aurum certainly felt a fair amount of embarrassment at the situation, mainly because he came so easily, but he'd rationalized it as too much pent-up frustration. After denying himself any real release for so long, of course he wouldn't last long. His face was probably red from a combination of that, generally being out of breath, and of course from not knowing where to go from there.

"It's only courtesy to reciprocate," the words were smoother then Chroto thought they'd be, yet easily gave away just how bothered he was.

As good a place as any to go.

But… but  _how?_  Of course there were only so many things Aurum  _could_  do, but what  _exactly_  was being asked of him? Or could he choose for himself? He kept his eyes on the man's face, making a point not to look at his reflection in the lenses and instead focusing on the slightly heavy breaths that had his chest visibly rising and falling.

He couldn't just sit there until he was told exactly what to do. That'd be worse than running away. He felt his face heat just a bit more as he thought quickly,  _'What do I want to do for him?'_

Well, he'd already spent most of the time between Chroto's legs…

He licked his lips.

Chroto watched patiently for what the boy would do, seeing his expression change from the leftover haze of pleasure to nervous and straight back to lust. He let his grin widen when he saw that tongue slide out and along his lips.

Then he crawled forward slowly, lips parted slightly and eyes half-lidded as he settled back between Chroto's legs. He reached both hands up, laying both on the strong thighs. He managed to get somewhat distracted, letting his left hand trail up toward Chroto's hip. It was strangely fascinating, feeling the slight shifting as he breathed. He bit his lip as he gave a soft squeeze and returned his attention to where it ought to be before realizing his right hand had been kneading his thigh and inching closer to toward the bulge. He palmed it through the fabric for a few strokes before moving on.

He didn't think it'd be so awkward to undo the button and zipper on someone else's pants, and he was grateful Chroto didn't outright laugh at him.

Aurum's hands were shaking slightly, but Chroto made no move to help him. It was cute, somehow; clumsy and nervous, jaw trembling as his hand finally unclothed and wrapped around his member. He exhaled at the relief, stopping his own hands from offering any encouragement yet.

He spent a few moments just staring, though his thumb seemed to slowly stroke around the middle on its own. That also stopped, though, as he suddenly realized: This… _this_  was  _Chroto_. And the thought felt ridiculous because  _of course, where have you been the past several minutes?_ but it had only just sunk in that his hand was wrapped around his temporary caregiver's shaft.

That got him moving.

He pumped a few times before leaning forward and giving a slow, tentative lick near the top, running from below and over the still-hooded head and ending in a small kiss on the tip, taking the bitter-tasting droplets with him. From there, he cradled it with one hand, fingers squeezing and rubbing at the top as he ran the flat of his tongue back down it, leaving behind as much saliva as he could with each stroke before trailing his lips back up, earning small sighs along the way.

He backed away a bit and wrapped his hand back around it to pull the foreskin down. The moment the swollen head was exposed, he all but dove forward to take it in his mouth and suck lightly. He couldn't quite describe the sound that made its way from the older man's throat, but he took it as encouragement and immediately replied with a high moan that vibrated delightfully.

Chroto's right hand shot out before he could think about it, tangling his fingers in the blond hair in front of him and scratching at the scalp. He didn't think Aurum would be quite so… so… Eager? Bold? Confident? No…  _Enthusiastic_ , that was it. With how the newman had started out, he expected it to take a while, but the pace he suddenly jumped to had him caught off guard, to say the least.

As his hand incidentally brushed the hair out of Aurum's eyes, he looked up from his work and Chroto could have sworn he was staring right through his lenses with those half-lidded eyes. It was then, watching those lips sliding up and down his member, taking it into that wet, slick warmth, that he realized just how badly Aurum must have wanted this.  _This exactly._  That knowledge seemed to make it all the better and he wondered if he'd also wanted it all this time and just never knew.

Aurum felt less embarrassed than he thought he probably should feel, and definitely not for the reasons he would have imagined. Through the whole ordeal so far, he'd been in mostly helpless positions: from basically being trapped to kneeling down between Chroto's legs. Though the unwelcome fantasies from before always had him being submissive to him, it was still the first time he'd put himself or had been put in such a position, real or fantasy. The rare fantasy when he was younger (his libido had been abysmally low in the past) always had him in a dominant role.

… And he couldn't deny he was getting off on it— He was quickly firming again and groaned as it twitched through the slick mess still in his pants. —Come to think of it, it was the first time he was really, well,  _getting off_  to any of it. The fantasies had been unwelcome because he felt it to be disrespectful toward Chroto. He'd never allowed himself to think of Chroto while masturbating; if he'd been aroused enough that he couldn't just use the usual methods of distraction to get it to go away, he'd always forced himself to think of someone fake. But he'd always ended up unsatisfied. Maybe that was why he seemed so much more interested in sex lately as well; it'd just been building up behind self-inflicted frustration.

He liked to think that it'd been building up for Chroto as well, just so much more well-hidden and finally letting loose.

And if that was the case, he wanted to be satisfying. He didn't really have much of an idea what he was doing, but he wanted to do the best he could. And he definitely wasn't yet.

Aurum let his tongue swirl around and under the tip as his hand shifted further down until only his index finger and thumb were helping support the shaft at its base. He retracted his tongue to press it to the underside, paused to inhale and pushed further forward, easing the tip to press at the back of his throat. His lips were almost against the ring made by his fingers; there wasn't much left, and the sharp inhale from above made him want to try for it, but decided that could very well be the worst disaster he could possibly initiate. His eyes were already watering just a bit, but he couldn't help the shuddering moan that vibrated through his throat at the odd and not unwelcome obstruction. It was somehow pleasant. Maybe a little too pleasant, on both ends. It felt like it'd grown ever so slightly thicker, and the urge to take his hand back was definitely growing as well.

The hand in his hair had gripped much of it in a fist that seemed like it was fighting to not start pushing and pulling at him. He decided not to make the man wait and slowly retracted a couple inches before returning and sliding his tongue wherever it could reach. The strained and heavier breaths he could hear were more encouragement as his bobs became longer. He resumed the light sucking once he was sure he wouldn't gag and sped his pace as the next distinctive sound he heard was a rather high mutter of his name.

He responded with another groan and looked back up briefly to see Chroto's head thrown back, mouth open, chest rising and falling erratically. While elated that he seemed to also be enjoying himself, he wanted his eyes back on him. Aurum moved his hands up and squeezed the tops of Chroto's thighs for better leverage and balance, made quite an unignorable whining-moaning sound and started sucking a little harder as he returned to more shallow bobbing; wet, obscene noises filling the room.

That got his attention— and a few choked groans through now-clenched teeth.

Speaking of attention, he  _really_ wished there was a practical way to keep going yet get Chroto to stroke him again. It was fucking ridiculous how hard he was again, and it only brought more heat to his face to be acknowledging it was from sucking his caregiver off.

( _Somewhere in the back of his mind, he wanted to hear the words, "Good boy" whispered low.)_

Seeing Chroto's attention back on his face and biting his lip, he couldn't help another sound rumbling through his throat.

He hollowed his cheeks, not quite thinking straight about the erratic moving of his tongue, working almost desperately. What would happen after this? Would that just be the end of it? Would things progress from there? That night or the next? The image was already in his mind; being pulled up from his knees and shoved roughly to his back on the couch,  _skin nearly bruising as he was held down_ —

"mmnh… haa.. m… **move** …"

Chroto's hand had slipped from his hair and tried to grab on to something again to pull Aurum off. His fingers managed to latch on and pull on an ear.

He was given a long and low moan for his effort, seeing Aurum arch, hips rising back and up as far as they'd go without losing balance and—  _did he just come again?_ —they trembled again as the grip tightened on his thighs. The position probably made it more difficult to back away—  _if_  he wanted to. Should have thought of that.

Aurum would wonder later if maybe he should have obeyed— if it would have made the experience better for Chroto, if he wanted a different end,  _if that vision would have come true (with no regard for him having just come)_  —but for the moment, he was more focused on his own vision of how such a scenario should play out and end, and that definitely didn't involve taking Chroto out of his mouth. It was just… for lack of better word,  _delicious_. It may not have actually tasted pleasant, but between how it  _felt_ (how he imagined it'd feel—it wasn't quite over yet) and all the reactions he'd gotten— there was just no other word he could think of at the moment. He wanted it. For a long time, he just wanted  _all_  of this man, and he'd have all he was willing to give.

Despite the warning and knowing full well what it meant, he still wasn't entirely prepared as the warm fluid filled his mouth with a bitter taste. He didn't stop, still spurred on by the decidedly wonderful sounds he was eliciting and the grip on his ear. As the last few drops dribbled out, he swallowed what wasn't rolling down his chin along with his own saliva and gave one last gentle suck before releasing the softening member from his mouth. A string of saliva still connected from his tongue to the tip, which he licked away.

Fatigued from his second orgasm, he found himself slumped over Chroto's lap with his head resting against his stomach. They both tried to catch their breath, hands idly rubbing at hips or hair.

As much as Aurum wanted to just enjoy the afterglow, he was beginning to worry about just what would happen next. As pleasant as the earlier fantasy had been, he doubted either of them were actually up to it.

What would happen from here on? Was it really returned attraction or affection, or just a momentary lapse in judgment? What would the next words be? A regretful request to forget that the evening had happened? A teasing suggestion that they should do this more often? A degrading remark about how desperate he'd been?

"What does this mean?"

He hadn't really meant to say the words out loud, but there they were.

He looked up into the lenses, seeing himself a right mess in the reflection. Eyelids still low, hair tangled, and a smear of the remaining semen still on the corner of his mouth (crap, he probably rubbed some of it off on Chroto's shirt).

The hand drifting through his mussed hair stilled and it looked like Chroto was trying to figure out the answer himself. At the very least, he didn't seem upset or regretful.

After several moments of nothing, Chroto's hand reached to wipe the remaining fluid away from Aurum's lips, then tugged him upward and leaned down. Feeling all too eager (and somewhat embarrassed, considering what had just been in his mouth), Aurum straightened his back and leaned up to meet him half-way.

But that very moment seemed to last too long. That tortorous moment of in-between.

Like it was slipping away.

* * *

The ticking of the clock seemed deafening.

He wanted to crush it.

With a low, frustrated growl, Aurum threw the bedsheets off and nearly stomped his way to the bathroom, trying to get the images out of his head.

He stripped his nightclothes off and turned the shower on full blast, freezing cold water knocking out whatever drowziness was left.

It wasn't  _fair_.

Nearly every night the past few weeks, he'd been having dreams like that. Dreams about mundane things they'd done that day taking a more lewd turn.

The shower drain gathered a few leftover strands of hair and the wet locks didn't obscure his vision at all as they had the day before. In the dream, they never even got around to his bangs. He could still feel the fingers gently running through his hair and how soothing it had been before the first brush against his ears brought it all spiraling down and  _leave it to him to turn an innocent gesture into something so perverted._

His fists balled against the wall, the cold water not doing much to help alleviate the rather raging problem he once again woke up with. But he wouldn't dare to even touch it, the dream still far too fresh in his mind to just push aside and forget for some cheap thought. Somewhere, he was grateful he'd at least woken up dry. There'd be no end to the shame he'd feel the morning he finally woke up to a mess. It was bad enough as it was.

The days weren't getting any easier, and it sure as hell didn't seem like his attraction or affections were being returned any time soon, if ever. He was nearing the end of his rope. He couldn't keep this up. He couldn't keep waking up to this, being too embarrassed to meet eyes with Chroto in the morning, and only barely being able to pretend to be fine when he returned in the evening.

He couldn't keep up with the lessons, either. More and more often, he found himself ignoring instruction and just losing himself in the sounds of the words. The few times he'd been given the hands-on approach, it felt more like an amazing achievement that he didn't just lose control completely.

Something had to give. He couldn't keep doing this. Pretending he didn't want Chroto in every way, the worst of ways. Pretending that man didn't drive his heart crazy with every word, every move, every…. just,  _every thing._   _All of it_  set him on edge and despite the shameful physical reaction, he felt like it'd all come to end with just… one thing. That one thing could be many things, but even presently, he wanted to believe he could be fine with just one honest embrace or kiss—not the half-hug when he seemed down. It wasn't the truth, but believing that it was helped, if only for the moment.

But that wasn't going to just happen.

He had to either get out or get  _it_  out; stop being passive and be honest. Even if it ended in rejection  _(he knew it would)_ , he'd at least have his answer, right?

He could write it off as a lost cause and start forgetting about it. Right?

His knees met the floor with a choked sob.

_It wasn't fair._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Started: August 18th 2014  
> First draft finished: September 14th 2014  
> Second draft finished: October 14th 2014  
> Final edit (mostly cleaning up epithets): January 31st 2017
> 
> ... AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA I POSTED IT? I REALLY POSTED IT. IT'S BEEN 3 YEARS AND I FINALLY POSTED IT. AT 9AM IN THE MORNING, BUT I POSTED IT. It was beta-read hot out from under the pen, approved, and then I continued to proof-read it a few times during a convention that same year where I was with Ms. Noah. And then never posted it.
> 
> I've been scared and nervous. This was my first serious attempt at writing sexual material in a way that was meant to actually be arousing. I mean, most of the others I've written started out with that intent, but very very quickly changed into... not that. But this. Um. Whew. My first real honest smut was a gay footjob. Don't tell my younger self. They'd have a damn heartattack.
> 
> Also, as I later realized when I was writing last year's Kinktober prompts, I used very limited terminology for referring to the male genitals in this. I don't have the guts in me to go all out with filthy words. Maybe one day... Maybe one day I'll be brave...
> 
> Note that Aurum's opinions here are not necessarily my own. He just personally thinks it's disrespectful or shameful. There are characters and people like that. Also, any ignored lack of skill and/or improbable skill is due to it being a dream. Chroto ignoring that little "stop" is also from it being Aurum's dream, so he actually did know that he didn't mean it. I think he'd probably clear it up before hand to absolutely not play coy little "oh nnooo stop itttt" games 'cause we don't play that way, yo.
> 
> One of the suggested titles for this was "An Inch of Hair, a Foot of Pleasure." I had to at least mention that somewhere here. That is too amazing. I love it.


	11. Kinktober 2016 Prompts [NSFW]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I'm posting 2016's prompts in 2017. I wrote them last year, and I meant to post them a couple months afterward in one big chapter like this, but I just kept wussing out.  
> Also I had two lists of prompts to work off, so there'll be more numbers...  
> ...And also some of them went to Sherri instead. And some got shared, as the "(Either)" tag indicates.
> 
> Anyway. Not all of these actually have sex even alluded to in them because I'm a huge pansy. Yeah leave it to me to participate in KINKtober and end up with a few prompts that are only fluff.

2-1 - Noisy

Aurum had always been a quiet person. Chroto didn't know how he'd been in his youth, but if he had to guess, he'd still been just as nervous and soft-spoken back then. He didn't even offer much in the way of verbal reactions; he made no sound on the battlefield, from quiet breaths to swallowed pain.

So he was surprised when the first caress of their tongues together earned him a breathless whine and hands clutching his shoulders as his knees gave out. The first time his hands traveled beneath his clothes, the sharp gasp and uneven breaths next to his ear sent shivers down his spine. The first time they joined, he was rewarded with cries and moans that he restrained Aurum's wrists to hear in full.

Aurum's honesty would break through the embarrassment; begging in earnest for all he wanted as his voice cracked at the notes he was hitting on the way to his climax.

And stars, did he live to hear it.

* * *

2-2 - Dirty Talk (Either)

He'd never given much thought to his own voice before; whatever came out was whatever took the least amount of effort to create without needing to repeat himself.

But apparently his voice  _did things_  to some people.

Combine that with a passive enjoyment for teasing, and, well...

"You've had that look on all day. Did you think I wouldn't notice you undressing me with your eyes? I'd be more surprised if the people around you  _didn't_ notice you fidgeting, trying to keep those daydreams under control. What was it this time? You seemed awfully fixated on my neck. I know you've wanted at this from the start. To leave your mark here. If you're good tonight, I might just let you. How does that sound?"

If he sounded anywhere near as good as the replying moan did, he could totally understand it.

* * *

4-1 - Food Play  **[*1]**

Who the hell taught him how to eat?

The way he left the pretzel stick dangling from his mouth as he read over a news article just couldn't be forgiven.

So he approached from behind, taking the snack in one hand while the other trailed along his shoulder and down his chest. The surprised sound shifted into confusion as he slowly worked the pretzel further into his mouth, scraping against his cheek and tongue along the gentle in-and-out.

* * *

4-2 - Bukkake

As appealing as the idea was beforehand, there was always a niggling guilt in the back of his head each time he finished— well, anywhere, really; now the mess wasn't only his own problem to deal with. But it was the worst when he'd look down to see Aurum panting as it dripped down over a closed eyelid and right over the corner of his open mouth.

He looked so debauched, so  _used_ , and that's what always had him thinking it was a bad idea after all.

But the expression he was always answered with, no matter when and no matter where, invited as many repeat performances as he was willing and able to give until by the end of the night, the only option was a full shower and new sheets.

* * *

5-1 - Sadism

He'd never thought himself to be sadistic; thus he'd been appalled at himself the first time he felt the urge to make Aurum cry.

He still doesn't think it really applies to himself, but is rather a unique trait of their particular relationship.

As long as Aurum doesn't want him to stop, it's become all too erotic when the tears are falling one after another.

However, he's still torn between feeling pride or disgust with himself when his fingers roughly trace a new bruise he's given Aurum. Even as the crying voice hitches into moans or words of gratitude, he's not sure how he wants to feel.

* * *

6-1 - Hidden

There's something romantic and just plain exciting about sneaking kisses and touches behind peoples' backs.

Their first time visiting Aurum's parents had nearly reduced him to tears ( _the bad kind_ ) multiple times. He had found a good distraction in laying him down on the couch and reminding him (his hands, his lips, his neck) that he was loved while the two former caregivers conversed just around the corner.

* * *

9-1 - Bondage

He never brought it up.

Aurum seemed to both enjoy and fiercely dislike being restrained. When at his worst, keeping him from thrashing away seemed to be the only thing that could calm him down. On the other end, he would work himself into a panic if he couldn't move how he wanted to.

So he never brought it up.

It just kind of... happened.

It started after a rough day when he didn't want to bother with the so rarely bold hands roaming over him. He'd pinned Aurum's wrists beside his head, and although he instinctively tried to break free from it a few times to grasp at something— anything —he hadn't been met with any resistance.

Call him tame, but he couldn't really work up the effort to do more than tie his wrists together. He couldn't be doing all the work, after all.

* * *

9-2 - Asphyxiation

He'd only stroked a little too hard over Aurum's throat; caused a panicked gasp and a hand to grab at his wrist, but not pull it off.

Even if Aurum hadn't told him that any more than a light pressure to make him work to breathe would have him scared out of his mind, he doesn't think he could bring himself to do more anyway. Even with the level of control he always had, no matter how observant he trusted himself to be, he didn't have the confidence that he'd know when to stop.

* * *

12-1 - Jealousy

Aurum's face was always carefully trained in a passive expression. Anyone who didn't know better would think he was just perpetually bored or annoyed.

Chroto knew better. He'd come to recognize when he was feeling stressed (he could actually see him breathing), uncomfortable (his point of focus would shift lower), happy (his eyes didn't look  _dead_ ), longing (he couldn't seem to focus his eyes on anything), aroused (he seemed all too focused on absolutely nothing), among other things.

Such as jealousy.

And Aurum got jealous. A lot. Over nothing.

But Aurum himself knew it was unreasonable and tried his hardest to stomp the feelings down. He wouldn't grow resentful or angry; instead retreating inward and trying not to listen to the feelings of inadequacy.

It was easy enough to remedy. Chroto had stopped verbally addressing it after the fifth time when he'd already said all he could. It seemed to work out better that way anyway. Where words would just make them both feel frustrated at the repetition of it all, a smile and a hand on his shoulder for just a moment longer solved it instantly.

Jealous sex was a coin toss he wasn't willing to risk, either. One side had Aurum more aggressive, taking the lead and leaving as many marks as he pleased; the other had him as a lifeless doll that felt it was all he was good for. It had to end with or cut off to holding and caressing until it was clear on what level he appreciated their time.

* * *

13-1 - Scars

ARKS armor was pretty amazing in all regards. Despite the amount of coverage, it seemed to protect the entire body equally. Nobody who used it was quite sure how that worked, especially considering it didn't even partially resemble the records of line shield technology. Still, it did its job wonderfully and combined with the TECHNICs and medicines ARKS ops had special access to, hardly anyone had scars to show for their struggles.

It was civilians who had the most scars. Civilians who made enemies of their own people and had no armor.

Running his fingers over the faint scars on Aurum's upper arm (too haphazard to be self-inflicted), he wonders what each fight was about.

 _"I probably deserved it,"_  Aurum had muttered the first time the subject came up.  _"I don't remember what I said, but you know me; I don't think before I speak. I might have said something honestly awful."_

And Chroto does know him. He has almost no filter. He rarely means anything to come out as rude as it sounds, and he only recently started trying again (the children  _(among others)_  never listened; beat the kindness right out of him) to backpedal and explain himself more gently when it happened.

But words aren't enough to justify laying your hands on anyone. No matter what Aurum might have said to anger his peers back in those days, he didn't deserve these scars.

But they're part of him now. A part of him that he's slowly trying to heal.

* * *

13-2 - Medical play

Aurum 'retired' early from ARKS when he realized he wasn't doing nearly as much to help people as he wanted. It was a dangerous job he clearly wasn't cut out for if the number of failures on his record was anything to go by. It was just causing unnecessary worry for both of them.

So he quit and went back to school with what he'd saved up from his time as an operative.

Being a nurse might have been more monotonous most of the time, but he found it more fulfilling than slaughtering countless native creatures whose d-arker infection usually didn't see them hostile until ARKS poked their heads in.

(Usually. There were very few documented cases of them actually tearing each-other apart, but those were the ones the media and government clung to to justify their violent meddling.)

He worked at the ARKS medical bay, letting them continue living under the same roof. Unlike civilian hospitals, he didn't have a locker for his uniform  _at_  work. The uniform itself was ARKS-issue and thus was technically armor. All staff in the military district from desk jockeys to janitors had to be ready and able to join the frontlines in emergencies, so being unarmored just wasn't an option.

So he put it on at the start of the day and returned home still wearing it.

But men weren't exactly common on medical staff. In fact, he was the first they'd employed on their ship in decades, and thus had to make due with the women's dress and a pair of trousers until they could order something more fitting for him. After modifying the hem to make it into more of a long shirt, it looked good enough to keep as backup anyway.

The reaction Aurum expected when he showed off his uniform the first time was just a nod, a smile, maybe an 'I'm proud of you,' and he'd be on his way trying not to grin like a fool. And he did receive it exactly right before heading off for his first day at work.

Then he came home to hands on his waist and lips on his neck, being asked to look at a 'sudden mysterious ache' that he couldn't help but snort a laugh at.

Neither of them could take it seriously, but it had been fun.

_"On a scale of 1 to 10, how much does it hurt?"_

_"About an 8, but it's gettin'_ harder _... to bear."_

 _"_ snrrk _... I'll have to... administer a massage... hahah... to reduce the swelling..."_

_"Hahahah... Nah, I can't keep this up. But that uniform is seriously a turn-on."_

_"Well, it needs washed anyway... No harm in getting it dirty."_

* * *

14-2 - Sensory Deprivation

Aurum didn't like not being able to see.

It wasn't that he didn't trust Chroto. There was something that just felt  _wrong_  about taking away one of the senses. His ability to see and hear were the proof of who he was with. Even if all he could see was the room in front of him, just seeing it jostled back and forth in his vision added to the whole experience.

But it seemed Chroto really liked to cover his eyes. He had only used one hand to cover his eyes until now.

He holds a blindfold out to him with a questioning grin. Aurum nods even though he wants to say no. It's a bad habit of his.

Chroto notices, as he learned to do. But a lack of protest still doesn't ever really mean 'no' with him, either. "We'll try it. Just let me know if it's too much."

He doesn't know if he can trust himself to actually say so, but he nods again anyway.

He doesn't touch the blindfold or ask for its removal throughout the session even as he's pulled up and turned around. Whispers brush against his ear the whole night, constantly reassuring him that he isn't having a nightmare about someone else.

"Just focus on my voice, even if you have to ignore the feeling."

They keep a slow, steady pace up until the end.

"You're doing fine. So good. Come on, talk to me."

He calls out his name weakly as his hips rock backward. He feels trapped and hates that he can like this.

"I'm here. I'm here with you. Stay with me."

* * *

18-2 - Daddy  **[*2]**

"So, ah... Before all this, you kind of hinted at..."

"You're nervous and it's making me nervous."

"I'm trying to be open-minded here."

"That isn't helping."

"You did a lot of things for me for Father's Day the first year you were here."

"..."

"And now, uh. Well, we're this."

"..."

"We're consenting participants of intercourse together. Fairly often."

"..."

"I mean,  _I'm_  not into it, but if—"

" _I do not have a daddy kink._  Do  _not_  finish that sentence.  _Do not_  ask me if I want to call you 'daddy'."

"Oh thank goodness."

* * *

20-1 - Squeeze

Aurum wondered if he just hated everything about himself sometimes. All too often since this man had come into his life, he found himself thinking the exact same words:

'I hate that I like this.'

He was almost always asked first, and on the rare occasion that he wasn't, he was sincerely apologized to and asked afterward. He was never forced or guilted into anything, even by his own nasty subconscious. (And that was a miracle in itself; he'd resigned himself before he ever confessed that he'd probably agree to anything even if he'd rather die had it been anyone else.)

It was... difficult. So many things he found he absolutely  _loved_ , but would chastise himself for— feel bad for enjoying. He had to wonder just  _who_  had taught him  _what_  that had limited him so much, because he certainly didn't remember being explicitly told that anything was as wrong as he ended up thinking it was.

 _"You just never thought you'd grow up to be even remotely kinky?"_  Chroto had offered one evening, and he'd hidden his defiant scowl under the sheets.

Maybe he had a point, but it was still confusing. He hated feeling powerless, yet he liked so many things that gave the same general feeling just in a different flavor. Being blinded, being ordered, being restrained...

He was being pressed hard against the mattress, hard enough that he only had the side of his mouth and one nostril to breathe from with his head turned to the side, hard enough that with each thrust, his entire torso rubbed against the sheets and he could feel his lover's chest on his back.

The position didn't offer much movement, but the pressure against both sides had him feeling more trapped than ever. His arms were trapped at his sides and he couldn't have gotten free even if he'd wanted to.

But as his groans came half-muffled, he couldn't think of anywhere he'd rather be.

* * *

23-1 - Slow (Either)

Chroto appreciated his partner's enthusiasm and forwardness. Had it been up to him to take charge, they likely wouldn't have all that much intimacy beyond holding each-other as they slept. He just couldn't be bothered to put forth the effort for much unless it needed to be done, or he  _really_  wanted it to be done.

It took getting used to and plenty of reassurances that yes, he was still interested, and no, he didn't dislike intimacy.

"It's like cake, y'know?" he tried to explain one day, "cake's great, and you could look at it or fantasize about it all day. But if you have to make the cake yourself, you're not going to be eating a lot of cake unless you  _really_  enjoy baking."

The exasperated look he was given in response had him laughing at himself and apologizing for the analogy.

But he found he got the point across just fine as they became increasingly bold in their advances.

But the pace was almost always too much to keep up with unless they were already on the same frenzied page. Whether it was because of impatience, wanting to see him exhausted, some kind of misunderstanding, or just personal preference, he never got around to asking. But if they weren't complaining, neither was he.

Most of the time, at least.

He cupped their face, rubbing slow circles with his thumbs as he redirected the feverish kiss to something more sensual.

He caught their wrists, placing their roaming hands at his chest as his own massaged the small of their back.

Before they could descend on him, he brought them back for a kiss as one hand caressed their cheek and the other ran over their hip.

He would take control back, grinding into them slowly with long, deep, quiet sighs. They would describe the look he gave them as reverent when he brought one of their hands up to kiss their palm.

They conceded easily to his silent requests for sensuality. They would ask afterward if they should always go slower, if perhaps they weren't romantic enough.

He would give them a silly, sated grin.

"It's all about the cake you're craving at the moment."

"Stop using cake analogies!"

He appreciated their enthusiasm and seeming inability to get enough of him, but he liked teaching them how to slow down and just enjoy each-other more.

* * *

24-2 - Exhibitionism/Voyeurism  **[*3]**

The year is A.D.234. Countless years of innovation have led up to a bio-engineered civilization living among the stars on a sprawling fleet of spaceships, and he can still hear his roommate masturbating.

Is a little bit of sound-proofing really that much to ask for?

He knew he was at fault, too, though. He wasn't in his room, trying to sleep. He wasn't in the kitchen, he wasn't in the bathroom. He was the one sitting outside Chroto's room with his back to the wall.

He hadn't meant to— well, obviously he hadn't specifically wandered over just to overhear...  _this_. What kind of freak would do that?

But what kind of freak went to tell their roommate dinner was ready, noticed they were...  _busy_ , and instead of either going away and waiting a decent amount of time or casually leaving a knock on the door and a shout of the information meant to be delivered, just sat down and kept listening?

Aurum was that kind of freak, obviously. He was the disgusting kind of creep that did things like that. The kind that couldn't stop himself from getting as close to the door as possible to savor every faint noise, every wet slide, every breath, every hum. The kind who conjured the image of the movements going on behind him. The kind who let his imagination run and picture those same hands on himself, stroking and breathing over his shoulder and humming in satisfaction.

No, no he wasn't. He reined it back in, put a stop to that fantasy. That was too much, crossed too many boundaries, defiled Chroto's image.

He swallowed thickly and pushed himself up to sneak away, not sticking around to hear the end of it. He had violated Chroto's privacy enough.

* * *

27-1 - Creepy  **[*3]**

If he realized every time he started fantasizing, he'd shut it down immediately.

It always starts off small, with things he already knows. Chroto will roll his neck after stretching, and Aurum imagines what he smells like. He already knows; the barracks aren't very spacious. His mind fabricates the scent of worn leather and musky cologne diluted by the sweat of a day's work and he almost shudders.

When Chroto is leaning back into the couch flipping the pages of a book, Aurum imagines what his hands feel like. He's already felt them numerous times, from picking him out of the rubble to patting his hair encouragingly. A hand lands on his shoulder and he imagines it isn't his own, that it isn't stationary, trailing down to play at his waist.

Chroto's mouth, speaking with clients, makes Aurum imagine what it would feel like moving against his own lips. His chest, hugged tight by the inner layer beneath his armor, invites his hands across it. His legs, twisting just so to keep his balance in mid-air, call for worship.

He stops himself— or tries to.

He can't stop his own mind at that point, but he can resolutely keep his hands clenched at his sides. He won't seek gratification even at the unknowing expense of someone else. He won't stoop that low; won't cheapen him more than he has.

Aurum tries his best to sleep through the unwilled image of a body moving over him, and it's so much easier than looking Chroto in the eye the next day.

* * *

27-2 - Branding  **[*4]**

When he saw them all through highschool, they looked painful.

When he received his first one years later, he didn't even notice it until he caught sight of it in the mirror. Chroto walked up behind him, ran his fingers over the small bruise on his neck with a look of pride before leaving a kiss on his cheek.

_"Sorry. I should have asked."_

_"No, it's... It's fine."_

_Nothing about his posture says it's fine, but the excited quiver in his voice makes up for it._

He found out later that they could hurt. He doesn't remember what words he'd uttered, but it set both passions ablaze, sent hands groping bruises into his wrists, his sides. He felt drowned amongst the heavy breath, the biting teeth and aggressive sucking across his neck. It hurt then, it hurt afterward, and he'd beg for it all over again.

He's always worn high-necked shirts, but now it's exhilarating to think that they hide little secrets. He sometimes considers wearing anything else just to bare the possessive marks for the world to see, but as with most such fantasies, the thought is enough.

* * *

30-1 - Rough

He can't usually work up the motivation and effort to do more than set the ball rolling. When he's angry, he'd much rather think or sleep through it. When he has a bigger spark of energy, he'd rather spend it teasing Aurum and throwing him off-guard.

Some days, though, there's just the right balance of frustration with the miserable day and energy to vent the feeling physically.

He's never been one for violence, and the day he raises his hand to anyone is the day he'll quit and check himself in for help.

But then there are the days when Aurum literally asks for it; opens his mouth, shudders out a quiet, shy,  _"hurt me."_

And he can't refuse when all those pieces come together. Shoves him and pins him to the wall, leaving lingering pain where bruises would form by morning. Grips his jaw, bites his mouth, his ears, his neck, his chest— marks him so thoroughly it'd be indecent to wear anything less than a turtleneck for a week. He raises his knee between Aurum's legs, rubbing too hard and grabbing his hand to  _make_  him reciprocate.

Aurum can't keep quiet through any of it— all gasps and groans and clutching at his shirt, hands positioned like he wants to push him away while he only pulls him closer, grinds their hips together until he's thrown face-first onto the bed moaning as his hair is pulled backward. He doesn't put up any kind of fight as his hands are torn away from the sheets and pinned against his back, does his best to meet every rough thrust until he's told to sit still. Whines and begs him not to stop when the sight of blood nearly halts the punishing pace.

And Chroto regrets listening to him every morning after as he wakes to see the bruised mess he's made of him. Even as Aurum rolls over and gives him a small, rosy smile as the aches remind him of the previous night, he can't shake the guilt pooling in his gut.

* * *

30-2 - Toys

 _"I want to watch you masturbate,"_  he'd requested of Aurum and basked in his embarrassed attempt at words.

He palms his still clothed erection as he watches Aurum rise and fall upon the toy he'd surprised him with. It was thinner but longer than he was, undoubtedly reaching deeper than Aurum was used to.

He seems enthusiastic enough, but unease builds in his stomach as he keeps watching. Aurum is hard— has been since the bedroom door shut and Chroto gave him the sly grin reserved just for riling him up. It bobs and sways as his thighs brush against the carpet, but his eyes and teeth are clenched shut, and he can hardly hear him breathe. He's not even making the soft noises he usually can't hold in at the beginning.

He doesn't seem like he's enjoying himself very much.

"Hey."

Aurum doesn't stop, and his eyes clench just a little tighter.

"Aurum." When he still doesn't stop, Chroto gets up from where he'd been leaning against the bed, crawling forward to place a hand on Aurum's cheek. "Aurum, stop."

He finally does and gasps like he'd been holding his breath the entire time. His eyes crack open and he immediately looks like he's about to start panicking and making excuses.

Chroto strokes his thumb under his eye to try to calm him down, break him out of whatever mindset he's already got himself in. "You're not enjoying this. Stop."

Aurum shakes his head and shuts his eyes again. "You—"

"Aurum, please," he brings his other hand up to make Aurum look at him, "stop agreeing to these things if you don't actually want to do them."

They've been over this before, and he thought they'd had it settled. He knew from early on that Aurum was the type who aimed to please others, whether he actively enjoyed whatever he was doing or not.

Aurum swallows like his mouth is dry, still not opening his eyes, and Chroto knows he's trying to hold on to an argument he's going to lose. "I already told you, this is the kind of person I am. I'm fine with anything as long as you want it."

 _'Then why do you look like you're being tied down and forced?'_  Chroto lets out a small sigh and leans forward to touch their foreheads together. "Who taught you to lie so much?"  _'You were so honest when you got here. What all have I done to you?'_  "That blunt honesty of yours is what I love about you. So why are you so bent on lying to me about these things?"

"I'm not lying," he immediately blurts, a familiar lack of thought that simultaneously has Chroto feeling both relieved and sick. He's telling the truth, and he's not sure whether it's a good thing or a bad thing. "It's just..." Why does it have to be so complicated with him? "I wouldn't...  _We_  wouldn't even be together if I didn't force myself to do... things. It's not like I just jumped at the first idea of... being intimate with you."

 _What._  That sounds like... No. No, no, no.

It feels like everything inside is sinking, his eyes widening and grip tightening before letting go as if burned. Before he can pull away, Aurum's hands grab his wrists, keeping him in place. "No! It's not— not whatever you're thinking."

Chroto shudders, "Stars, I hope not..."

"No.  _No._  I  _love_  being with you.  _Being_... with you." His fingers rub over his wrists like he's coaxing him to hold him again. When Chroto's hands cradle the back of his head again, he continues. "But, just like so many other things, this...  _all_  of this, I've already been raised to not like."

He can imagine. Who knows what kind of shambles Aurum's own identity is actually in thanks to the ideas drilled into his head as a kid. He certainly doesn't have a good relationship with himself at least.

"I can't like anything without exposure. Positive exposure. You, and you liking it... is positive..." His eyes trail to the side and he swallows thickly again. "I'll get over it. I'll like it."

"You'll  _learn to like it_?" The sick feeling is back and he can't restrain a grimace. "Aurum..."

"I'm serious. It sounds bad, but... Please."

Chroto shakes his head. "Even if you're telling the truth, you at least looked like you enjoyed everything else we've done." Didn't he? God, what if he didn't... "This... You look like you'd rather be anywhere else."

"It's not you."

It's thoughtless, once again. He has to roll the words over in his mind a few times, repeat the sound until he realizes he's not waiting for an 'it's me,' and he remembers that they're still on the floor, and while Aurum had stopped moving against it, he was still seated on the toy.

They both blush and Aurum can't look him in the eye. "Physically, it feels good. But it's not you."

He should ask first. After all this, he should definitely ask first, but he's moving without thinking. He leans back and scoots across the floor to lean against the bed again, pulling Aurum forward until he's on all fours on top of him. His left hand moves to tilt his chin up and his right reaches to the base of the dildo to press it deeper. He swallows the resulting cry with a kiss, slowly working the phallus out and back in. "Is this good, then?"

"Hah..." Aurum's hands grasp up along his chest until they reach his shoulders, holding tight. "nng.."

"I'm here. This is me— it's me doing this to you." He searches Aurum's face, seeing his eyes half-lidded and mouth hanging slightly open with familiar sighs and groans spilling out as his breath gets heavier. Yeah,  _that's_  how he's supposed to look.

Aurum doesn't verbally respond, instead letting his body answer for him. He leans forward, teeth grazing Chroto's collarbone as the pace picks up. Chroto's left hand trails down, over his chest, his stomach, gives his shaft a few quick strokes before moving to grope his rear. He rocks back against the toy being thrust in and out at a steady pace, his cock rubbing against Chroto's bent leg.

Chroto figures the fabric can't feel all that good, and there's obviously better things around. He brings his left hand back to unzip and tug his pants down enough to pull himself out. "C'mere."

Aurum obeys without hesitation, sitting up to straddle Chroto's lap. He's quickly rewarded with a sharper thrust and a hand encircling both their lengths, pressing them tightly together. "GHh— hah— mmmhh..."

"How selfish of you, though," he jests, letting his left hand slide up and down in time with the push and pull of his right. "Here you were supposed to be puttin' on a show for me. Now I'm doing all the work?" He angles the toy before pushing it back in all the way to the base, delighting in the sudden arch of Aurum's back and the guttural moan it drags out of him. "That's right, sing for me."

"Ahhg! MmnnghH..." His head is tossed back, all but begging for the mouth that closes around and sucks on his neck. It's too much at once and as a thumb runs over both their slits, he knows he's not going to last. "C-hhHH— I— mmnngg! Hhha!"

"Go ahead, let go."

Neither stop moving for a few more moments; Chroto's hands keep stroking, keep pushing as Aurum's hips twitch erratically as he rides his orgasm out.

Chroto slows to a stop, pulling the dildo out and leaving it wherever it falls. Aurum whimpers then shudders as it leaves. He thinks the only way he'd look more beautiful is if he'd scoot forward and take him in, keep groaning and ride him to completion.

As if he'd read Chroto's mind, Aurum jerks back upright and glances down between them. He stumbles over a few non-words that might be an apology before backing up and leaning down to take him into his mouth without giving Chroto a chance to protest. His brow creases briefly at the taste of his own cum left behind, but it doesn't deter him at all.

After all that, it doesn't take long for Chroto to finish. He runs his fingers through Aurum's hair appreciatively as he swallows and doesn't protest when he comes up to kiss him with all the dazed passion he can muster.

Then they lay there, leaning against the bed in a messy heap.

"So, you believe me?"

Chroto looks down to the mop of blond hair still nestled against his chest and runs his hand over Aurum's back. "Yeah. It's just difficult, y'know? Hell, it's still hard to accept it when you start crying. S'hard not to think the worst. Should feel like scum if I  _didn't_  think the worst."

"If I really don't like something, I can say so. You made it pretty clear how important that was to you the first time it came grinding to a halt. I still remember the word you had me pick." Aurum nuzzles closer, sighing sleepily. "Just give me time. Let me warm up to everything new until I can ask for it myself."

"Like you'd really ask," Chroto snorts. Aurum sits up and Chroto swears the gaze he's giving him under those eyelashes will be the death of him.

"So you don't want a show after all? I guess a repeat of today wouldn't be too bad, either..."

The seductive almost-pout doesn't last long before he's hiding his face with an embarrassed huff.

Yeah, it'll be a while.

* * *

31-2 - Any combo of the above (Outdoors + Wet + Exhibitionism/Voyeurism)

Sherri didn't run across other operatives on the field very often. Planets are, well, planets. They're big. It's certainly not unheard of, especially on days where emergency cleanup is ordered in one area.

But this had been no such day. Just a long but easy client request for some measly tomatoes from the Greenscape.

It was the first time she'd heard Chroto laugh in earnest. Somewhere around the corner, he was laughing at something. She could make out a few splashes before a second round of laughter joined him, this one higher and harder to place. She eventually recognized it as the newman boy that she often found hanging around the 2nd floor balcony during Chroto's breaks, deterring her from approaching him herself. It'd been difficult to place since he always spoke so quietly. Didn't help that she'd never actually spoken with him, or even been introduced.

A bigger splash and a pause in the voices won her curiosity. She peeked around the rock and quickly ducked back further behind it upon seeing the scene in front of her.

Chroto was in the shallow lake on all fours, hovering over the boy who was sprawled beneath him in the water.

She couldn't tear her eyes away as she watched Chroto lean down to kiss the newman, a shiver visibly running through him as the boy's arms wrapped up around him.

Her heart sank as they continued, hands caressing and finding their way under armor to bring out a sigh or hum. She hadn't had high hopes that her feelings had been mutual, but seeing them outright dashed in front of her hurt.

 _'Hadn't pegged him as that type, either...'_  she thought, not really registering what was going on until well after the boy's coat was opened and his shirt pulled up to bare his chest.

 _'Oh my god.'_  She ducked back behind the rock entirely before the hand at his pants could go any further. But just because she couldn't see it didn't mean it didn't continue.

"MMhhHa! MMhh~!"

"Shhh."

"Cuh— hHhh... can— HhhHHmmMm..."

She wouldn't soon forget the low chuckle Chroto gave beneath the loud gasps and sloshing water. But after this rude awakening, she dearly wanted to forget. Didn't want to be thinking about this at night. Didn't want to end up both crying and touching herself to the memory.

There was a gasp and the sound of water got closer until a dull thud against the rock wall and a quivering whine reminded her that leaving was an option.

"HhhHah! AHhn!"

"Ha... Mmm... Au...rummm..."

 _'Oh yeah,'_  she realized,  _'I'm standing here listening to two men have sex on the job. Wow. I don't know who's creepier.'_

Trying to time her steps with the rest of the noise, she retreated. She'd definitely remember his name.

* * *

These are all the prompts I skipped and why.

1-2 - Spanking  
It was disappointing to skip the very first one, but I just can't see any of them being into it. Maybe a one-off ass slap in the barracks to decide nah, not for them.  
(Sherri may or may not fantasize about slapping Chroto's ass in public as a territorial thing, but she knows he'd hate it. Which is probably why she fantasizes about it.)

3-1 - Corset  
Well, Sherri isn't one for corsets, and while I have toyed with the idea of crossdressing for Aurum, I'm not really feelin' it. It's the type of thing he'd only do and get into if he was specifically asked to, and Chroto probably wouldn't even think to ask, so it's something that accidentally goes unexplored.

3-2 - Public  
Chroto doesn't do public. He won't even hold hands in public. The closest I can justify were covered in 6-1 (Hidden), 11-1 (Transportation), 14-1 (Outdoors), and 31-2 (Combo of Outdoors, Wet, Exhibitionism/Voyeurism), which were all either while on missions (unlikely to run into anyone) or in someone else's house. That said, any of those prompts probably could have filled in for "Public", but I chose to use them as I did.

5-2 - Humiliation  
This would overlap too much with 2-2 (Dirty Talk) and 5-1 (Sadism). All I can think of is just dirty talk meant to embarrass the receiver, and probably more crying, which I've already written so much of that it'd be redundant.

6-2 - Size Difference  
21-1 - Big (Size difference)  
22-1 - Little (Size difference)  
They're all relatively close in height. Sudden micro/macrophilia is fine in drawings, but it's kinda dumb in writing without a ton of setup. Only other option is aging one of them down and I won't do that.  
(Yes, I am aware that shrinking has been done in the PS series before. I lived (and died) the megid trap hallway of doom multiple times.)

8-1 - Rock Hard  
I couldn't think of anything that wasn't cringe-worthy or laughable. How do you make "rock hard" not sound stupid these days?  
I probably could have written something like 7-1 (Lust) but from Chroto's point of view, but it's difficult enough writing the rest of this stuff from his POV without feeling like I'm putting way too many words in his mouth and doing too much with a character that isn't mine.

10-2 - Edgeplay  
20-2 - Pet Play  
31-1 - Pet play  
I don't see them being into any form of roleplay...  
Or anything rough enough to count as edgeplay...  
Also I can hardly even put up with people who roleplay as animal people outside of their shitty public ERP sessions. What makes you think I can tolerate it in porn?

11-2 - Sadism/Masochism  
Already covered by 5-1 (Sadism)

12-2 - Master/Slave  
Another of those things I don't think any of them would be into. Chroto's too lazy to play the slave, and he'd probably ruin playing the master role by ordering the slave to do all the household chores.  
All three of them could definitely get into something similar, though. Something with less of a power dynamic where he just gently instructs them what to do. His voice is hypnotic.

15-2 - Sounding  
I admit I love the idea of this. Watching it is super fun, but I don't think I'd like to be on the receiving end. So, I haven't participated, nor have I read much about it from people who enjoy receiving it, so I was ill-equipped to write about it.  
There are plenty of things I'm ill-equipped to write about, but it's easy enough to smudge the details of those.  
I guess I could have written it from the giver's POV, who just has to take their word for it that it feels good? But I didn't. Oh well.

16-2 - Waxplay  
This would probably be one of those things that accidentally never gets explored. I'm also ill-equipped to write about it besides sticking my fingertips into candle wax as a kid.

17-1 - Battle  
I'm not sure I understood the prompt. Battle? They are soldiers, but unless it's a meaningless mission like gathering materials, they're not going to be in the sexual mindset on the battlefield. Did they expect something like "battling tongues"? Because that's been silly since it was first thought of.

17-2 - Blood/Gore  
Nope nope. When blood is shed, it's gone too far. They aren't that hardcore.

19-1 - Suspension  
idk man I don't see them having a sex swing or anything like that lol  
And if they got tangled in say, the vines of the Naberius forest, their partner would probably be too worried to start makin' with the sexy.  
Picking up? The one who'd have to do the picking up would be Chroto, and he's not gonna do that lol  
(It was implied some pegging goes on, and if Sherri were thirsty enough, she'd definitely hoist him up with dem Hunter muscles. But I'm not about to write about that (yet?).)

22-2 - Glory hole  
I couldn't see any of them doing anonymous hand/blowjobs, and just randomly having a wall between them and their partner would be pretty frickin' weird.

24-1 - Orgy  
Despite especially enjoying the threesome solution to love triangles, I can't bring myself to do it to these three. Sherri and Aurum just wouldn't be able to stand each-other, and neither like sharing. Sherri just wouldn't have it and would walk away. Aurum would probably go along with it 'cause he's a spineless turd and thinks "well as long as my partner is happy," and quickly sink into full blown depression.

25-2 - Boot worship  
I don't think any of them would be comfortable with that...  
Chroto would be thinking "what the hell am I doing with the gift of life so graciously given to me"  
Sherri would laugh in your face, "haha  _what_ "  
Aurum would again concede to anything until he got into it by osmosis

26-1 - Cage play  
Similar to Suspension, I don't see them owning something so big for these reasons.

26-2 - Shotgunning  
I am ill-equipped to write about this, and also I like to limit my characters to one vice unless they're a real fucking mess, and it's fallen on light drinking for them.

28-1 - Burn  
Similar to the Blood/Gore prompt.

28-2 - Xenophilia (Objects/Aliens etc)  
That's gwanada doujin territory lol It's like the micro/macro thing for me. It's fun in artwork, but requires way too many suspensions of disbelief, too much rule-bending to work in writing. I mean, why would a tentacle monster want to stick its tentacles in human sexual organs? Why would it have that instinct, when it's not meant to breed with them?  
So uh. The closest I could get is making particular mention of newman ears? And I already wrote that! Hahah...

29-2 - Watersports/Omorashi  
I have these blacklisted for a reason.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [*1] jfc I'm so sorry :T I can't really imagine food play so this is the best I can offer. Surprise pretzel fellatio that may or may not lead to penile fellatio.  
> I was going to rewrite it to be something about cooking together, but it ended up being too long and involved for a drabble (not to mention not heavy enough on the kink for these drabbles), so it'll be its own one-shot later.
> 
> [*2] I'm not into it, I'm sorry. But I accidentally put Aurum in such a position, so I have to call myself out on it whenever I can.
> 
> [*3] These both take place before they're a couple.
> 
> [*4] Well, it didn't specify what KIND of branding... ... I know what it meant.


End file.
